Quick help please!

[scott-az]

scott-az
I've done some searching for my answers but haven't found anything yet.

Here's the background: we have raised chickens bought from the feed store. Last night, a neighbor (who was moving and leaving that night) dumped their chickens and roosters on us along with a batch of fertile eggs. These eggs have been outdoors behind the shed and kept warm by the mother chicken.

I quickly made a homemade incubator with a cardboard box and lightbulb. I can hear a chirp and movement in some eggs. The temp has been good but the humidity is rock bottom.

Should I spray the eggs with water?

Should I do anything else to help their chances of survival?

Any other ideas??

Thanks!

Scott

 

[blucoondawg]

Just keep them warm, if they are chirping they are very near hatch, you do need to try to keep some humidity once they begin to pip the shells to keep the membranes from drying and the chicks from becoming stuck in the shells, that is the only way humidity or lack thereof will kill them at this point. I would put some water pans in with sponges if you need more moisture but do it in a way the chicks won't hatch and fall in and drown, then cover the box with a towel or something to try to keep some moisture in, just make sure it doesn't get way too hot

You could also spritz the eggs with nice warm water from time to time too, that will keep them moist for awhile just be careful not to spray too much onto a pipped egg and drown the chick by having water run into the shell after it has pipped

 

[AmericanMom]

I had a broody leave 4 eggs three days before they were due to hatch... I used a brooder lamp to keep them warm (99-101) when they internally piped I moved the whole operation to the bathroom to stabilize the humidity... Get the room steamy by running a hot shower and keep the humidity up with a portable humidifier. I had 3/4 hatch successfully

 

[scott-az]

Thanks for the advice! One chick busted out in about 30 minutes flat this morning. I guess the low humidity maybe made it easy to open.

Here's two more questions:

If all the eggs were from the same chicken, theoretically, should they all hatch one day apart? Would 18 eggs mean 18 days of hatching?

Also, I don't have a brooder, if course. Can I put the new chick in the same setup I had for the chicks I bought from the feed store a few yeas ago?

Thank you so much in advance. I'm sure these questions have been asked in some form or another many times, but I haven't found the answers.

Scott

 

[blucoondawg]

No you won't have 18 days of hatching, it doesn't matter when the egg was laid they don't start to develop until they are incubated either with a hen or an incubator. You can use anything for a brooder, big cardboard box, large plastic tote, anything that will hold the chicks, and of course a heat lamp